12272024 SPORTS by tribune242

SPORTS

The Senior Female Athletes of the Year

It is no secret that the year of 2024 has been nothing short of a remarkable one for Bahamian women in sports at the professional and collegiate levels.

Whether it was making Bahamian women’s basketball history, setting world records on the big stage or surpassing longstanding national records, the Bahamian senior female athletes certainly left an imprint on 2024.

Jonquel Jones - First Place Grand Bahamian Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) pro Jonquel “JJ” Jones cemented herself as arguably one of the greatest Bahamian women’s basketball players of all time during her 2024 WNBA Finals run with the New York Liberty. Despite coming up short on three previous trips to the big dance, the Grand Bahamian big ﬁnally got a taste of what championship

The Junior Female Athletes of the Year

IT is the holiday season and the conclusion of 2024 which means it is just the perfect opportunity to highlight this year’s top junior female athletes across the various sporting disciplines.

The top junior female athletes demonstrated great prowess and potential during the 2024 sports season, signalling a sign of great things to come in 2025 and beyond.

Taysha Stubbs - First Place

Taysha Stubbs, of the Blue Chip Athletics Club, had a remarkable campaign during 2024 in her debut to the under-20 girls’ division. She dominated the age group all season long, highlighted by top tier performances at the 2024 CARIFTA Games, Penn Relays and a ﬁrst time appearance at the World Athletics Under-20 (U20) Championships in Lima, Peru. The Queen’s College student turned heads at the 2024 CARIFTA Games in St George’s, Grenada. She pulled off a phenomenal personal best toss of 50.94m to win her ﬁrst gold medal at the junior regional meet. Her winning throw was just a few metres off the CARIFTA Games record of 51.13m in that particular age group. Coming off the heels of a dominant performance in Grenada, Stubbs

PAGE 18

THE SPORTS CALENDAR December

T-BIRD FLYERS TRACK & FIELD

CLASSIC

THE T-Bird Flyers has announced that its 2025 T-Bird Flyers Track and Field Classic is scheduled for Friday, January 10, and Saturday, January 11 at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium. Persons with any questions or concerns about registration or the schedule of events are asked to contact T-Bird Flyers’ head coach Foster Dorsett or competition director Bernard Newbold for more information.

BBSF SOFTBALL LEAGUE

THE Bahamas Baptist Sports Federation will hold its 2025 softball league, starting on Saturday, February 1 at the Charles W Saunders

High School, Jean Street. The co-ed slow pitch league will allow each team up to a total of 15 players with the registration fee of $200. The deadline for team registration with rosters and team payment is Saturday, January 25, 2025. Interested persons can tournament director Thomas Sears at 424-2888 or email 242softball@gmail.com or Brent Stubbs at 426-7265 or email stubbobs@gmail.com.

BBSF WALK/RUN THE Bahamas Baptist Sports Federation is inviting the general public to participate in their Family Fun Run/Walk, scheduled for Saturday, January 11, starting at 6am from the Charles W Saunders High School,

PAGE 18

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IT was a Christmas Day gift wrapping to remember with the National Basketball Association taking the spotlight with ﬁve games featuring three of the ﬁve Bahamian-American players on display. Unfortunately for one of them, Eric Gordon had to sit on the bench in the TD Garden in Boston as he unwrapped his 36th birthday gift on Wednesday on the bench recovering from oral surgery. The Indiana native, who played a pivotal role in the Bahamas men’s national team close bid to qualify for the Olympic Games this summer, was able

ONCE again, the Providence Storms Christmas Holiday Classic is providing local junior and senior high school basketball teams the opportunity to stay sharp during the Christmas break.

Over the next four days, 20 senior high school teams and 13 junior high school teams will get to play in the 24th edition of the classic that will run from today through Monday at the CI Gibson Gymnasium.

“It’s bracing up to be an exciting tournament,” said tournament director Kevin “KJ” Johnson.

“The defending champions are the CI Gibson Rattlers in the senior boys and the Agape Christian Academy Eagles out of Abaco as the defending junior boys champions. Both are back and so everybody will be out to dethrone them. So we’re looking forward to a very exciting classic.”

The junior boys teams are divided into four pools, consisting of the following:

Pool one - DW Davis, Akhepran and SC Bootle.

Pool two - St Augustine’s College, Charles W Saunders and Jordan Prince Williams.

Pool three - Kingsway Academy, Agape Christian, Temple Christian and TA Thompson.

Pool four - Teleos Christian, Queen’s College and Nassau Christian Academy.

The senior boys division, also divided into four pools, comprises the following:

Pool one - CI Gibson, Doris Johnson, RM Bailey, Queen’s College and Nassau Christian Academy.

SPORTS

The Senior Female Athletes of the Year

It is no secret that the year of 2024 has been nothing short of a remarkable one for Bahamian women in sports at the professional and collegiate levels.

The Junior Female Athletes of the Year

IT is the holiday season and the conclusion of 2024 which means it is just the perfect opportunity to highlight this year’s top junior female athletes across the various sporting disciplines.

The top junior female athletes demonstrated great prowess and potential during the 2024 sports season, signalling a sign of great things to come in 2025 and beyond.

Taysha Stubbs - First Place

PAGE 18

THE SPORTS CALENDAR December

T-BIRD FLYERS TRACK & FIELD

CLASSIC

BBSF SOFTBALL LEAGUE

THE Bahamas Baptist Sports Federation will hold its 2025 softball league, starting on Saturday, February 1 at the Charles W Saunders

PAGE 18

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ONCE again, the Providence Storms Christmas Holiday Classic is providing local junior and senior high school basketball teams the opportunity to stay sharp during the Christmas break.

“It’s bracing up to be an exciting tournament,” said tournament director Kevin “KJ” Johnson.

The junior boys teams are divided into four pools, consisting of the following:

Pool one - DW Davis, Akhepran and SC Bootle.

Pool two - St Augustine’s College, Charles W Saunders and Jordan Prince Williams.

Pool three - Kingsway Academy, Agape Christian, Temple Christian and TA Thompson.

Pool four - Teleos Christian, Queen’s College and Nassau Christian Academy.

The senior boys division, also divided into four pools, comprises the following:

Pool one - CI Gibson, Doris Johnson, RM Bailey, Queen’s College and Nassau Christian Academy.

Bahamian basketball stars light up the NBA on Christmas Day

FROM PAGE 15

dropped to 22-8 in second place.

In the Christmas spirit of shooting the lights out, Klay Thompson, the son of Bahamian legendary icon Mychal “Sweet Bells” Thompson, canned four of his 10 three-pointers to surpass Reggie Miller for ﬁfth place on the NBA’s all-time career list.

Thompson, now with the Dallas Mavericks after playing his previous 13 seasons with the Golden State Warriors and earning four championship rings, ﬁnished with 12 points to push his total to 2,562 points, two more than Miller’s 2,560.

However, after Luka Doncic left the game with a strained left calf in the second quarter, the Mavericks couldn’t seal the deal at home in the American Airlines Center in Dallas.

The Minnesota Timberwolves, with Anthony Edwards putting on a show

with 26 points, held off Dallas, led by Kyrie Irving with 39 points, unwrapped a 105-99 gift for ninth place in the Western Conference at 15-14, dropping the fourth place Mavericks to 19-11. With Thompson moving on, Golden State acquired Grand Bahamian sharpshooter Chavano “Buddy” Hield from Philadelphia this year to add to their backcourt with arguably the greatest shooter of all-time Stephen Curry. It came down to a pair of clutch plays that could have been drawn up for Hield, but instead, it went to Curry, who converted both three-pointers with 12 and seven seconds, the last to tie the score at 113-113. But at the other end of the court, Austin Reaves got free on a drive to the basket for the game winning layup with one second left to steal the Christmas gift at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California with a 115-113 win.

Curry, who still managed to get off a last second shot from over the halfcourt, but fell short, had 38 points

with eight rebounds. Hield, however, was held to just ﬁve points on 1-for-5 from behind the three-point line.

Reaves ended up with a triple-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Lakers, who played the ﬁnal three quarters without centre Anthony Davis after he suffered a sprained left ankle late in the ﬁrst.

LeBron James came through with 31 points and 10 assists to off-set their deﬁciencies and, in the process, earned his 11th win on Christmas Day, passing former teeam-mate

Dwyane Wade’s holiday record. More importantly, Los Angeles improved its Western Conference record to 16-12 for sixth place with Golden State falling to 15-14 in 10th place. The two other Bahamians, Deandre Ayton and Kai Jones, didn’t get to play with the Portland Trail Blazers and the Los Angeles Clippers respectively as their teams didn’t make the wrappings packaged on Christmas Day.

Thunder win their 9th consecutive game with a victory over Pacers

INDIANAPOLIS (AP)

— Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tied his career high with 45 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 120-114 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night.

Gilgeous-Alexander hit 15 of 22 shots and all 11 free throws in Oklahoma City’s ninth consecutive victory.

Jalen Williams scored 20 points and Isaiah Hartenstein had 11 points and 13 rebounds for the Thunder.

Andrew Nembhard scored 23 points and Pascal Siakam added 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Pacers, who had their ﬁve-game winning streak snapped. Bennedict Mathurin ﬁnished with 18 points and Myles Turner had 11 rebounds.

After Tyrese Haliburton scored to give the Pacers a 107-103 lead, the Thunder answered with an 8-0 run to remaining.

The Pacers led by 15 in the ﬁrst half before settling for a 61-53 halftime lead. They were ahead 84-83 after three quarters on Jarace Walker’s 3-pointer with 13 seconds left in the period.

HEAT 89, MAGIC 88 ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Tyler Herro hit a 19-foot jumper with 0.5 seconds left Thursday night to give Miami a win over Orlando.

Jalen Suggs, who scored 29 points for the Magic, missed a long jumper at the buzzer.

Herro ﬁnished with 20 points to help the Heat come back from an early 17-point deﬁcit and avenge a loss to the Magic last Friday in which they squandered a 22-point fourth-quarter lead. Alec Burks scored 11 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter for Miami, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 15 points. Tristan da Silva had 18 points and six rebounds for the Magic.

WIZARDS 113, HORNETS 110 WASHINGTON (AP) — Jordan Poole’s 3-pointer with 8.1 seconds remaining lifted Washington to a victory over Charlotte. In a matchup of two of the league’s worst teams, the Wizards (5-23) beat Charlotte (7-23) for the second straight week. Washington blew a 21-point secondquarter lead but ultimately prevailed in a back-andforth ﬁnal minute.

The Hornets led by one and had Josh Green at the line with 38.3 seconds left. Green missed both free throws, and a tip-in by Wizards rookie Alex Sarr put Washington up 109-108 with 14.8 seconds remaining.

Charlotte took the lead back when Mark Williams dunked home an alley-oop pass from LaMelo Ball with 12.3 seconds to play, but after a Washington timeout, Poole made a step-back 3 from near the top of the key.

Brandon Miller missed a 3 at the other end for

Charlotte, and Ball’s desperate attempt at a putback was unsuccessful. Justin Champagnie made a free throw with 1.6 seconds left for the Wizards to complete the scoring.

Poole ﬁnished with 25 points and Bilal Coulibaly had 20 for the Wizards.

Ball scored 31 for the Hornets.

HAWKS 141, BULLS 133

ATLANTA (AP) — Jalen Johnson had a career-high 30 points and Atlanta rallied from a late 21-point deﬁcit by scoring

Pool two - St George’s, Temple Christian, Charles W Saunders, Blazer Elite and South Andros High.

Pool three - CC Sweeting, Agape Christian Academy, Jordan Prince Williams, Westminster School and ISBET.

Pool four - Teleos, Kingsway, Government High, St John’s and SC Bootle. Johnson, whose Rattlers just returned from participating in a tournament in Las Vegas, said this is the time of the year when basketball is being played everywhere.

50 points in the fourth quarter in a win over Chicago. Atlanta trailed 124-107 game and used a 23-2 run to take its ﬁrst lead since the ﬁrst quarter.

Johnson added 15 rebounds and Trae Young scored 27 points, surpassing the 11,000 career point mark, and added 13 assists as the Hawks won their second straight.

Zach Levine scored a season-high 37 points in the loss. Jevon Carter scored 19 of his 26 points in the ﬁrst quarter as the Bulls lost

“Basketball was played yesterday, basketball is being played today and basketball will be played tomorrow,” Johnson said.

“Most high school teams and college teams are playing basketball and continue to get better.

“They are playing in tournaments to keep their teams sharp and to get ready for the second half of the season that starts in January. So with this tournament being played in this timeframe, it would keep the players sharp going into their respective high school seasons in January.”

Johnson assured the fans that they can expect some exciting basketball games being played during the tournament because everybody wants to win.

“This is the time of the year when nothing is happening. Junkanoo is over until New Year’s Day, so it’s very important that coaches who commit to it,

their third straight despite shooting 54% (53 for 98) from the ﬁeld.

ROCKETS 128, PELICANS 111

NEW ORLEANS (AP)

— Jalen Green scored 30 points in less than 30 minutes on the court, and Houston cruised to a victory over New Orleans. Fred VanVleet hit seven 3-pointers and ﬁnished with 25 points for Houston, which has won four straight and six of seven while climbing to second place in the highly competitive Western Conference.

Cam Whitmore added 27 points off the bench and centre Alperen Sangun had 10 points and 13 rebounds for the Rockets, who led by 30 in the second half and sat their starters for most of the fourth quarter.

Trey Murphy had 21 points for the Pelicans, who have lost eight in a row and 17 of 18.

Brandon Boston and Dejounte Murray each scored 17 points, and CJ McCollum added 13 for New Orleans, which, like Houston, limited starters to 31 or fewer minutes of playing time after it became clear the game would not be competitive.

NETS 111, BUCKS 105

MILWAUKEE (AP)

— Cam Johnson scored 29 points, Noah Clowney added 20 and Brooklyn rallied late for a victory over the Milwaukee.

Nic Claxton had 13 points for the Nets, who had lost

bring their teams out and keep them sharp,” Johnson stressed.

9am - Kingsway vs TA Thompson junior boys.

Academy vs Queen’s College junior boys.

Williams vs St Augustine’s junior boys.

11am - SC Bootle vs Akhepran International junior boys.tian Academy vs Doris Johnson senior boys.

vs Jordan Prince Williams senior boys.

1pm - Agape Christian Academy vs Temple Christian junior boys.

tian Academy vs SC Bootle senior boys.

Kingsway senior boys. 3pm - CI Gibson vs Queen’s College senior boys.

eight of 10 before making 16 of 38 3-pointers against a Milwaukee squad that was playing a third straight game without Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.

With their top two scorers out, the Bucks got 21 points from Khris Middleton, 20 from Brook Lopez, 18 from Bobby Portis and 14 from Gary Trent Jr. while shooting 50.7% from the ﬂoor and 39.5% on 3-point attempts.

GRIZZLIES 155, RAPTORS 126 MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Jaren Jackson Jr. had 21 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks, Zach Edey also scored 21 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, and Memphis set a franchise scoring record in blowing out Toronto.

Desmond Bane added 19 points, Jaylen Wells scored 17 and Ja Morant had 15 points and nine assists as Memphis won for the third time in four games. Toronto lost its ninth straight and fell to 1-14 on the road. RJ Barrett led the Raptors with 27 points, and Scottie Barnes added 26. Chris Boucher ﬁnished with 15.

Both teams played porous defence for three quarters and each had reached 100 points before the fourth started.

A burst by Memphis in the third took the lead to 22. The 155 points were the most given up by the Raptors this season.

Christian senior boys. High vs Blazer High senior boys. 5pm - CC Sweeting vs Westminster senior boys. Temple Christian senior boys.

Teleos senior boys. 7pm - Charles W Saunders vs South Andros High senior boys.

Government High senior boys.

vs Jordan Prince Williams senior boys. 9pm - CI Gibson vs RM Bailey senior boys.

Saunders vs Temple Christian Academy senior boys.

Photo/Emil

Lippe

GOLDEN State Warriors guard Chavano “Buddy” Hield (7) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard during the ﬁrst half on Monday, December 23. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

OKLAHOMA City Thunder forward Kenrich Williams (34) gestures after a three-point basket against the Indiana Pacers during the second half yesterday.

(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Seahawks beat Bears

6-3 to boost playoff hopes

By ANDREW SELIGMAN AP Sports Writer

CHICAGO (AP) — Riq

Woolen intercepted Caleb Williams’ late pass and the Seattle Seahawks boosted their fading playoff hopes, squeezing past Chicago 6-3 last night to hand the Bears their 10th straight loss.

Jason Myers kicked ﬁeld goals on the game’s ﬁrst possession and near the end of the second quarter.

Woolen picked off a deep pass intended for Keenan Allen at the Seattle 22 with 20 seconds left, ending Williams’ NFL rookie-record string of passes without an interception at 353.

Geno Smith threw for 160 yards, and the sluggish Seahawks (9-7) made just enough plays to come away with a win they sorely needed after dropping two in a row. They came in trailing the NFC West-leading Los Angeles Rams by a game with two remaining.

Leonard Williams had two of Seattle’s seven sacks.

Chicago (4-12) has two double-digit losing streaks in general manager Ryan Poles’ three seasons.

The Bears dropped the ﬁnal 10 games two years ago as part of a

franchise-worst 14 game slide that stretched into 2023. They’ve never lost more than 10 straight in one season, and fans chanted “Sell the team!” near the end of this one.

Caleb Williams extended his NFL-leading total and individual franchise record for sacks to 67. The Bears broke their previous mark of 66 sacks allowed in 2004, when they used four quarterbacks.

Smith completed 17 of 23 passes, and the Seahawks improved to 6-1 on the road.

Noah Fant had 43 yards receiving, and Zach Charbonnet ran for 57.

Chicago is 0-4 since interim coach Thomas Brown replaced the ﬁred Matt Eberﬂus.

Williams was 16 for 28 with 122 yards. It was a big drop from the previous week, when he threw for 334 yards and two touchdowns against NFC leader Detroit following a string of shaky performances.

Myers kicked a 27-yard ﬁeld goal on the game’s opening drive.

Chicago tied it on Cairo Santos’ 42 yard ﬁeld goal with 2:32 left in the half.

But Myers booted a 50-yarder in the closing minute, sending the

Seahawks to the locker room with a 6-3 lead.

Injuries

Seahawks: Seattle placed RB Kenneth Walker III on injured reserve prior to the game because of an ankle injury.

Walker hurt his ankle in last week’s loss to Minnesota and left that game after sitting out the previous two because of a calf problem. He also missed two weeks in September with an oblique issue.

(AP Photo/ Erin Hooley)

CB Josh Jobe (knee) got banged up. Up Next Seahawks: At Los Angeles next week. Bears: At Green Bay next week.

PRO PICKS: CHARGERS OVER PATRIOTS IS THE BEST BET AND BRONCOS AND VIKINGS WILL PULL OFF UPSETS

By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer

PLAYOFF berths, draft positioning and more are up for grabs in Week 17.

There’s going to be plenty of football on television this holiday week with the NFL playing games on ﬁve out of six days, starting with a doubleheader on Christmas Day that featured four of the AFC’s top ﬁve teams. Patrick Mahomes and the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs trounced Russell Wilson and the Pittsburgh Steelers 29-10 on Wednesday. Then, two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens routed C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans 31-2.

The Bears hosted the Seahawks last night and there are three games on Saturday, making Sunday’s schedule light at nine games. The Lions-49ers wrap up the weekend on Monday night.

Pro Picks goes for another winning week.

Los Angeles Chargers (9-6) at New England (3-12)

Line: Chargers minus 4

The Chargers would clinch a wild-card spot with a victory over the Patriots, who battled hard against the Bills. Los Angeles is 9-2 against the spread as favourites. Justin Herbert is 9-0 ATS in the Eastern time zone in his career. The Patriots have lost eight straight home games in December.

BEST BET:

CHARGERS: 23-16

Denver (9-6) at Cincinnati (7-8)

Line: Bengals minus 3

Joe Burrow and the Bengals have to win to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. They’re favourites for the 12th time this season despite a losing record. The Broncos would clinch a wild-card berth with a win.

They’re 11-4 ATS.

UPSET SPECIAL: BRONCOS: 23-22

Seattle (8-7) at Chicago (4-11)

Line: Seahawks minus 3 1/2

The Seahawks have to win to maintain slim playoff hopes. The Bears have lost nine straight. Geno Smith and Jaxon SmithNjigba should have a big day against Chicago’s pass defence.

SEAHAWKS: 26-20

Arizona (7-8) at Los Angeles Rams (9-6)

Line: Rams minus 6 1/2

A four-game winning streak has the Rams on the verge of securing the NFC West. Los Angeles aims to avenge a lopsided loss to Arizona in Week 2. The Cardinals were eliminated from the playoffs and are reduced to playing spoiler. With Kyren Williams leading the rushing attack, the Rams don’t have to rely on Matthew Stafford’s passing as much.

RAMS: 26-16

New York Jets (4-11) at Buffalo (12-3)

Line: Bills minus 9 1/2

The Bills will know going in if they have a shot at the AFC’s No. 1 seed. If the Chiefs beat the Steelers and lock it up, Buffalo’s main priority will be keeping Josh Allen and everyone healthy. Still, they can rest in Week 18. After a subpar effort against the Patriots, the Bills can’t take Aaron Rodgers and the Jets lightly.

BILLS: 27-16

Las Vegas (3-12) at New Orleans (5-10)

Line: Raiders minus 1

The Raiders already hurt their draft positioning by beating the Jaguars last week. Another win could further knock them down and negatively impact their quest for a franchise quarterback. But coach Antonio Pierce wants to win and the players don’t care about draft slots. The Saints can’t get to the end of the season fast enough.

RAIDERS: 20-16

Carolina (4-11) at Tampa Bay (8-7)

Line: Buccaneers minus 8

The Panthers have embraced the spoiler role and coach Dave Canales will try to derail his former team’s playoff hopes. Bryce Young keeps improving and Chuba Hubbard is

LOS Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) greets fans after a win over the Denver Broncos on Thursday, December 19, 2024, in Inglewood, California. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

having a career year. The Buccaneers would’ve lost to Carolina last month if Hubbard didn’t fumble in overtime. Baker Mayﬁeld and a turnover-prone offence have to overcome a depleted defence that couldn’t stop Cooper Rush and the Cowboys.

BUCCANEERS: 26-20

Tennessee (3-12) at Jacksonville (3-12)

Line: Jaguars minus 1

The winner of this one really loses because it’ll be costly in the race for draft positioning. TITANS: 19-17

Indianapolis (7-8) at New York Giants (2-13)

Line: Colts minus 7 1/2

The Giants have come too far to lose the No. 1 pick in the draft. The Colts are clinging to slim playoff hopes. Jonathan Taylor and Anthony Richardson combined for 308 yards and four TDs against the Titans. They could have similar results against New York.

COLTS: 27-16

Dallas (7-8) at Philadelphia (12-3)

Line: Eagles minus 9

The Cowboys are left to play for a winning record

after being eliminated from the playoff race. The Eagles still need a win to secure the NFC East, but are almost locked into the No. 2 seed. If Jalen Hurts can’t play because of a concussion, Dallas has a shot against Kenny Pickett. Saquon Barkley is 268 yards away from breaking Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record. He could have a big day facing the ﬁfth-worst run defence in the NFL.

EAGLES: 24-17

Green Bay (11-4) at Minnesota (13-2)

Line: Packers minus 1

The Vikings are two wins away from the NFC’s No. 1 seed with Sam Darnold. Let that sink in. But those won’t be easy victories. Minnesota has to beat Green Bay and then Detroit on the road to win the NFC North and get home-ﬁeld advantage throughout the playoffs.

The Vikings defeated the Packers 31-29 in Green Bay in September. They’re getting the Packers on short rest off a Monday night rout. The Vikings have been overlooked and

PITTSBURGH (AP) —

Patrick Mahomes passed for 320 yards and three touchdowns and the Kansas City Chiefs locked up the top seed in the AFC for the fourth time in seven seasons with a 29-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday. The two-time defending Super Bowl champions raced to an early 13-point lead and were never really threatened by the Steelers (10-6), who have dropped three straight as their chances of capturing the AFC North took another hit.

The Chiefs sacked Russell Wilson ﬁve times, forced two turnovers and hardly looked gassed while playing for the third time in 11 days.

Travis Kelce caught eight passes for 84 yards while becoming the third tight end in NFL history to reach 1,000 receptions, joining Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten. Kelce sealed Kansas City’s ﬁfth straight victory with a 12-yard touchdown grab early in the fourth quarter. Russell Wilson threw for 205 yards for Pittsburgh. George Pickens ﬁnished with three receptions for 50 yards.

RAVENS 31, TEXANS 2

HOUSTON (AP) — Lamar Jackson broke the NFL career rushing record for quarterbacks in Baltimore’s victory over Houston, bolstering his case for MVP as the Ravens moved closer to the AFC North title. Jackson threw for 168 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 87 yards and another score. He pushed his career rushing total to 6,110 to move past Michael Vick, who had 6,109 in his 13-year career.

The Ravens (11-5) have already wrapped up their third straight playoff berth and need a victory over Cleveland next week to win the division over Pittsburgh.

underrated. This is a statement game.

VIKINGS: 27-22

Miami (7-8) at Cleveland (3-12)

Line: Dolphins minus 6 1/2

Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins still have slim playoff changes and get an opportunity to win a game in cold weather. A loss helps the Browns hold onto a top-ﬁve pick in the draft.

DOLPHINS: 25-16

Atlanta (8-7) at Washington (10-5)

Line: Commanders minus 4

The Falcons regained control of their NFC South hopes when the Buccaneers lost. Now, they have a tough test against the Commanders with Michael Penix Jr. making his second start facing off against Jayden Daniels in another matchup between rookie QBs. Daniels beat Caleb Williams and the Bears

earlier this season on a Hail Mary. Washington clinches a playoff berth with a win or a loss by Tampa Bay.

COMMANDERS: 24-23

Detroit (13-2) at San Francisco (6-9)

Line: Lions minus 3 1/2

The Lions aim to avenge their loss in the NFC championship game, though this matchup lost its lustre because the 49ers are eliminated from the playoff race. Detroit clinches the NFC’s No. 1 seed with a win if the Packers beat the Vikings.

If Minnesota beats Green Bay, the Lions have to beat the Vikings in Week 18 to win the division and secure the top seed so the result against San Francisco won’t matter.

In that case, Dan Campbell could choose to rest some of his starters in preparation for a winner-take-all regular-season ﬁnale.

LIONS: 26-23

SEATTLE Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) holds a cell phone following an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears last night in Chicago.

The Junior Female Athletes of the Year

set her sights on another ﬁrst place ﬁnish, this time at the 128th edition of the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Despite having to brave cold weather conditions, she emerged victorious in the high school girls’ javelin throw event with a gold medal heave of 47.17m on her sixth attempt in the competition.

Locally, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln commit was a cut above the rest in the under-20 girls’ division. She was successful in securing first place finishes at seven out of eight track and field meets here

at home. The 16-year-old concluded her 2024 athletics season with a debut at the World Athletics U20 Championships. She went on to ﬁnish 11th in Group A and 21st overall at the competition with a toss of 44.28m. Stubbs made a strong name for herself in her ﬁrst season at the under-20 level and seems to be soaring in the right direction for the future.

Rhanishka GibbsSecond Place Bahamian junior swimmer Rhanishka Gibbs had a fantastic season in aquatics. Gibbs played a vital role in helping Team Bahamas to secure their sixth straight CARIFTA Championship,

hauling away a total of five medals (two golds, three silvers) at home. She earned her two gold medals in the women’s 50m breastroke and women’s 50m butterfly events respectively. She swam to a winning time of 32.18 seconds in the women’s 50m breast and a gold medal finish of 28.01 seconds in the 50m fly. Her silver medal finishes were picked up in the women’s 200m breastroke, women’s 100m breastroke and women’s 50m freestyle events.

Gibbs also represented The Bahamas at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and 2024 World Aquatics Championships (25m) in Budapest, Hungary.

Dior-Rae ScottThird Place

While Stubbs dominated the under-20 division in her ﬁrst year, Dior-Rae Scott wrapped up her ﬁnal year in the under-17 division with a bang.

Scott would not leave the under-17 (U17) division without etching her name in a few record books at the 2024 CARIFTA Games and Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) High School Championships respectively.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln commit had an outstanding performance at the 2024 CARIFTA Games, turning

in a record-breaking personal best toss of 52.53m for the gold medal. She surpassed the former CARIFTA record of 46.07m which was set by Kamera Strachan in the previous year. Prior to the CARIFTA Games, Scott had a strong showing at the BAISS Championships while representing St Augustine’s College (SAC). In the under-17 girls’ javelin throw event, she tossed the 500g spear to 49.83m to erase the previous meet record of 42.00m also set by Strachan. Her throw was listed as the farthest throw by any female in the Caribbean

for the javelin 500g in this age group before being replaced by her winning toss at the CARIFTA Games. Locally, she clinched a number of first place victories at the DTSP Wolf Pack Classic and Road Runners Bahamas Invitational track and field meets. Scott also competed at the 128th Penn Relays in the “City of Brotherly Love” where she finished seventh overall in the high school girls’ javelin throw with a toss of 42.19m. It will be interesting to see the leap the SAC student makes this season as she transitions to the older age group.

The Senior Female Athletes of the Year

glory felt like in her fourth WNBA Finals trip against the Minnesota Lynx. The third time was certainly not the charm but the fourth swing at a title definitely came with a lot of historic firsts for Jones as the Liberty defeated the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 in game five.

The 30-year-old propelled the Libs to their ﬁrst title in franchise history, scoring a game-high 17 points, six rebounds and one dime while shooting 5-for-10 and 7-for-7 at the

SPORTS CALENDAR

FROM PAGE 15

Jean Street. The walk will leave Jean Street and head north to Bernard Road, west on Bernard Road to Soldier Road, south on Soldier Road to Prince Charles Drive and east on Prince Charles Drive to Jean Street. The run will leave Jean Street and head south to Prince Charles Drive, east to Fox Hill Road, north to Bernard Road and west to Jean Street.

The categories include female and male 15-andunder, 20-and-under, 40-and-under, 60-andunder and over-60. There will also be a Pastors/ Ministers/Deacons’ division. Interested persons can contact Ann Thompson at 425-3557 or email ann837609@gmail.com or Brent Stubbs at 42-67265 or email stbbobo@gmail. com.

PROVIDENCE BASKETBALL

CLASSIC

THE Providence Basketball Club, headed by Kevin ‘KJ’ Johnson, has announced that its 24th Providence Christmas Invitational Basketball Tournament is being held from December 27-30 at the CI Gibson Gymnasium. The tournament is designed for high school boys. The CI Gibson Rattlers are the defending champions in the senior boys division where it’s expected that 17 teams will participate this year.

The DW Davis Royals, coming off their victory over the weekend at the Three-Ounce Tournament in Grand Bahama, are the defending champions in the junior division where 12 teams are expected to participate.

The tournament is scheduled to get started at 9am on Friday and will wrap up on Monday night when the two champions will be crowned.

charity stripe in game ﬁve of the championship series.

She was a key cog in the Liberty’s second attempt at the WNBA crown, averaging 17.8 points per game and 7.6 rebounds while shooting 56 per cent from the ﬁeld in the 3-2 series win.

These numbers would rightfully earn her the 2024 WNBA Finals MVP honours to complement the ﬁrst WNBA Championship of her career.

Jones was just the ﬁrst Bahamian to win a WNBA title, the third non-American to win the hardware and just the 11th player to go home with both the title and Finals MVP honours.

During the WNBA regular season, the 2024 Finals MVP put up 14.2 points per game, nine rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 53.8 per cent from the ﬁeld.

She also capped off the 2024 WNBA campaign picking up her ﬁfth career WNBA All-Star selection, fourth WNBA All Second Team selection and second

WNBA All Defensive

Second Team selection.

Her already decorated basketball résumé was only missing one accolade, but the WNBA championship was the perfect climax to a story of delayed but not denied.

Devynne CharltonSecond Place

While Jones took the women’s basketball league by storm in the Big Apple, hurdler Devynne Charlton put the athletics world on notice during the indoor season.

Charlton certainly had some bright spots during the 2024 athletics season but none brighter than her achieving the world indoor record at the 2024 World Indoor Championships in Glasgow back in March.

The Olympian had already shown that she was on a mission after opening the season with a worldleading time of 7.75 seconds in the women’s 60m hurdles back in January at the Corky Classic in Lubbock, United States.

She stepped on the track and made history at the the Millrose Games in New York City, clocking what was then considered a world record of 7.67 seconds.

Charlton broke the 16-year-old record of 7.68 seconds set by Susanna Kallur in 2008.

American Tia Jones then went on to share the world indoor record with Charlton, but the Bahamian hurdler went for all the marbles at the World Indoor Championships.

The 29-year-old became the sole record holder replacing her previous time of 7.67 seconds with 7.65 seconds to not only emerge as the world indoor champion of the women’s 60m hurdles, but also a national record holder and world indoor record holder for the event.

During the outdoor season, Charlton made it her second Olympics in Paris, France.

She went on to ﬁnish sixth in the ﬁnals of the women’s 100m hurdles

event, stopping the clock at 12.56 seconds.

Despite the sixth place ﬁnish, the gifted hurdler was the only Bahamian to advance to the ﬁnals at the 2024 Olympic Games.

Rhema OtaborThird Place Javelin sensation Rhema Otabor continued to strengthen her legacy as one of the Bahamas’ top collegiate athletes.

Otabor had some pretty memorable performances during the 2024 season but the most memorable had to be her all around record-breaking performance at the 2024 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) D1 Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon. The 22-year-old thrower had been eyeing Laverne Eve’s 24-year-old javelin throw national record since last season but ﬁnally got the chance to make the record her own in June. She tossed the javelin to 64.19m which did just the trick to help her surpass

Eve’s previous national record of 63.73m, set on April 22 in 2000 in Nashville, Tennessee.

The winning heave not only set a national record but also a new collegiate, meet and school record. Additionally, she retained her NCAA DI javelin crown and qualiﬁed for her ﬁrst Olympic Games.

Earlier in the season, she repeated as the Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field women’s javelin champion. She won the event with a toss of 57.75m at the University of Michigan Outdoor Track Stadium.

She collected a number of ﬁrst place ﬁnishes during the season, including wins at the BAAA Senior National Track and Field Championships, 114th Drake Relays and Jim Click Shootout and Multis. The women’s javelin national record holder closed out the season with a throw of 57.67m at the Paris Olympics which earned her the 13th spot in her group and 27th placement overall.

CAITLIN CLARK HONOURED AS AP FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR FOLLOWING HER IMPACT ON WOMEN’S SPORTS

By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer

CAITLIN Clark raised the proﬁle of women’s basketball to unprecedented levels in both the college ranks and the WNBA, and Tuesday she was named the AP Female Athlete of the Year for her impact on and off the court.

After leading Iowa to the national championship game, Clark was the top pick in the WNBA draft as expected and went on to win rookie of the year honours in the league.

Fans packed sold-out arenas and millions of television viewers tuned in to follow her journey.

Clark’s exploits were far reaching, casting a light on other women’s sports leagues along the way.

A group of 74 sports journalists from The Associated Press and its members voted on the award. Clark received 35 votes, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles was second with 25 and boxer Imane Khelif was third, getting four votes.

Clark is only the fourth women’s basketball player to be honoured as the female athlete of the year since it was ﬁrst presented in 1931.

She joined Sheryl Swoopes (1993), Rebecca Lobo (1995) and Candace Parker (2008, 2021).

“I grew up a fan of Candace Parker and the people who came before me and to be honoured in this way, is super special and I’m

thankful,” Clark said in a phone interview.

“It was a great year for women’s basketball and women’s sports.”

Shohei Ohtani won the AP Male Athlete of the Year on Monday for the third time.

Clark broke the NCAA Division I career scoring record for both men and women ﬁnishing her career with 3,951 points while guiding Iowa to its second consecutive national championship game.

After her Hawkeyes lost to South Carolina for the title, Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley took the mic during her team’s celebration and said, “I want to personally thank

Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport.”

For all the success Clark has had and the attention she has brought to women’s basketball, she is often the centrepiece of debates and online toxicity towards her and other players in the league.

For her part, Clark has disavowed the toxic discourse.

Lobo also has been impressed with the way the 22-year-old Clark has handled the pressure and attention that has come her way.

“I would say she’s navigated it almost ﬂawlessly. she hasn’t had an big missteps or misspeaks at a time you’re under constant

scrutiny,” Lobo said. “She’s seemed to say and do all the right things. That’s just incredible at a time when it’s constant attention and scrutiny. She has not done anything to tarnish this sort of mild persona she has.” As Clark handled the praise — and the backlash — during the heat of competition, it was hard for her to appreciate just what she was able accomplish over the past year. But after having time to reﬂect on the whirlwind tour, she appreciates those who were there alongside her for the ride.

“I’m thankful for the people I got to do it with,” Clark said. “A year ago I was still in the early part of my senior year in college. ...

How fast things change, and now I can see how great a college season it was.” Iowa sold out all of its games at home and on the road with Clark as the main attraction. That momentum continued into the pros.

Her No. 22 jersey was prevalent wherever she played during her rookie season and will be retired at Iowa.

“You’d be remiss not to acknowledge how crazy her fan base is and the eyes she gets with everything she does,” said Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, who was often spotted courtside at Clark’s Indiana Fever games. “It’s a different type of popularity, she’s one of the most popular athletes in the world. It’s not just women’s sports anymore.

“It’s really cool to see and she just handles it with such grace.”

Clark said she enjoys spending time with fans at games, usually taking a few minutes before and after games to sign autographs.

“For me it’s still really fun,” she said. “Whether it’s 15 seconds or 10 seconds or 5 seconds can be very impactful in a young girl and young boys life. Seeing the fans going crazy an hour before tipoff, I never take that for granted. That’s super cool and I never want that to go away.”

Clark credits the community of women athletes for the popularity increase of women’s sports, saying “we” did this or “we” did that when asked about it.

INDIANA Fever’s Caitlin Clark, of Team WNBA, is introduced prior to a WNBA All-Star basketball game against Team USA on July 20, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D Franklin)

Building momentum for New Year ﬁtness goals

By Dr Kent L Bazard

As Christmas festivities reach their peak, Bahamians everywhere ﬁnd themselves diving into our most calorie-laden week of the year. From the sweet delight of guava duff to hearty servings of peas and rice, potato bread, Johnny cake, and chicken souse, holiday tables reﬂect our vibrant culture and love for good food.

With Boxing Day celebrating its lively spirit just after Christmas, the festive cheer - and plates of delicious food - can easily dominate the week.

While it’s a time for joy, family, and indulgence, it’s also an opportunity to look ahead to ﬁtness goals for the New Year. Building momentum before January allows you to enjoy the festivities guilt-free, knowing you’ve set a solid foundation for what’s to come.

1. Balance Festivities and Activity

The secret to maintaining momentum is balance. Take short, brisk walks after a big holiday meal or participate in family activities like touch football on the beach.

It’s not about intense training but ﬁnding creative ways to stay active, whether it’s walking around to view Christmas lights or having dance sessions at parties.

2. Start with Small Steps

Instead of waiting for January 1, set achievable goals this week. Begin with light routines - bodyweight exercises, stretching sessions, or yoga. These small steps will help maintain consistency and avoid a total ﬁtness pause.

3. Practice Mindful Eating We know Christmas means plates overﬂowing with ﬂavourful Bahamian delicacies, but mindful eating can go a long way.

Instead of restricting yourself, enjoy smaller portions and savour each bite. Start meals with a focus on protein and vegetables, leaving room for the treats you love most, such as that irresistible slice of guava duff.

4. Create an Accountability Plan

Let family and friends know about your New Year ﬁtness goals. A supportive environment can keep you on track, even during a week full of temptations. Setting an example might even inspire others to join

you on a light post-Boxing Day hike or stretch session.

5. Visualise

Success in 2024

Now is the perfect time to reﬂect on this year’s achievements and imagine how much more you can accomplish in 2024. Write down your ﬁtness goals and break them into manageable steps.

Visualisation helps solidify the mindset required to take action once the celebrations are over.

6. Plan for a Recovery Week Post-Holidays Include flexibility in your fitness plan by allowing the first week of January to ease you back into training. This ensures a gradual transition without burning out after the holiday high.

The spirit of Christmas in the Bahamas is unmatched - rich traditions, delicious food, and heartfelt laughter create a magical atmosphere.

By blending holiday joy with mindful ﬁtness practices, you can celebrate without guilt and head into 2024 feeling energised and prepared for success.

sports medicine physician at Empire Sports Mediathletes reach their peak performance safely. With extensive experience and a passion for sports health, insights and guidance for athletes of all ages.

BAZARD

DR KENT